I became interested in birds through music. The birds have helped me discover more about music and more about listening to everything, and my association with birds has opened up new worlds I never knew existed.
One day’s worth of photos seems worth going back to look at. These were taken on April 30 in Riverside. Spring migration was beginning, the temperatures were much cooler, and there were only a few leaves starting on the trees. I’m taking a break from the heat.
I first encountered a Killdeer by the Hofmann Tower.
I also took note of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow.
I noticed a Solitary Sandpiper on the rocks, and another on the sloping sidewall of the defunct dam.
Then they took off and I got some flight shots, with both of them in the frame of the last photo.
I was seeing Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers pretty regularly.
Baltimore Orioles stood out.
I found two Tree Swallows perched on the swinging bridge.
A Ring-billed Gull was flying.
More Yellow-rumped Warblers.
A few Black-and-White Warblers were around too. This is the same individual as at the top of the post.
An Osprey flew over.
A female Downy Woodpecker went about her business.
And a Red-winged Blackbird attending to his.
I noticed a Great Blue Heron across the river when I walked through Riverside Lawn. It caught a fish and then swallowed it.
Warbling Vireos were arriving.
I got to see a male Eastern Bluebird who periodically checked with me this spring.
There were Ruby-crowned Kinglets here and there.
Then I noticed a female Scarlet Tanager.
One more of the Great Blue Heron.
Heading back to my car, I found a Northern Rough-winged Swallow on the wall by the Hoffman Tower.
We are promised some cooler weather and even rain later today. I worked in the yard this morning. and slowly but surely, there is more visual breathing space. It seems there is always something surprising going on and it’s not all bad. May we all be surprised by something good these days. I’ll be back shortly with some more recent observations.
It has been disorienting to wake up every morning wondering whether I should go for a walk or not, and if not, how to plan the rest of the day. I have become such a creature of habit, if I don’t have a plan, it’s depressing, so I try to have likely alternatives for the next day sketched out before I go to sleep. It may sound simple, but the overwhelming heat has made it somewhat daunting. It’s not that I don’t have other things to do. But a walk in the woods or by the river centers and grounds me in a way that helps to make everything that follows fall into place.
Here are some photos from three recent visits to the Chicago Portage, starting with June 17, a bunny rabbit and a cabbage white butterfly.
We always hear Common Yellowthroats singing, but rarely see them. I believe there are two males with distinct territories at the Portage. I was standing at the top of the “hill” looking over the marsh and the water down below and heard one of them singing not too far away. It was not easy to capture his image, but that he was visible at all was remarkable, and he was so enthusiastic.
I captured a couple Red-winged Blackbirds in flight through the marshy area, and caught a glimpse of a deer.
A Northern Flicker seemed interested in the nest hole used last year, and I managed to see the Indigo Bunting I now call “TJ”.
On June 19, an American Goldfinch stood out for a moment.
I saw a couple Cedar Waxwings. I’ve been on the lookout for them.
The Common Yellowthroat at the top of the post is also below, where he was perched and sitting quietly not far from the bridge near Harlem. This is the second male. As I walked around and got to the opening in the fence, I took a peek at the water levels by the river after recent rain.
A male Red-winged Blackbird was hamming it up on the little bridge at the other end of the dirt trail.
I saw some Indigo Bunting action in the vegetation. I was unable to capture a female well, but the males were on display.
I wonder if this is the same turtle that I always seem to see covered in duckweed.
I got good looks at a Yellow Warbler, but I think it was the last time. I suspect they are still here but I have not heard or seen them lately. No doubt they are busy raising families.
One more American Goldfinch sat still.
On June 24, the first bird I found was an Indigo Bunting singing his heart out.
Two Pearl Crescent butterflies appeared: one with badly damaged wings, another in fine shape.
I caught a glimpse of a Red-winged Blackbird female in the marsh.
As I walked back along the paved trail, I found a female Orchard Oriole. I haven’t seen a male in a month or more, but this gives me hope.
A Great Blue Heron flew over.
I have taken to sitting on the picnic table placed under a tree by the water. Often enough, when I am sitting there looking for activity or just chilling, a bird comes into the tree above me and visits for a while. This time was no exception. A juvenile White-breasted Nuthatch offered its company.
Here’s one more photo of an Indigo Bunting. I like this photo because it shows off the blackness of his otherwise blue-appearing feathers.
I will be venturing out less frequently for walks in the next couple of weeks, thereby modifying my routine. One reason is the weather. The other reason is that it is time to try to clean up and contain the immense overgrowth in my front and back yards. I inadvertently have added incentive to do this work, as I found a citation from the city on Friday in my mailbox, demanding my appearance in municipal court on July 16. What convenient timing! I talked with my new alderman today to voice my concerns and sent him a copy of the citation. He will investigate and get back to me. In the meantime, I am enjoying seeing the fireflies in the early evening, and also welcoming back other insects and pollinators as well, even as their numbers seem greatly reduced. I did my part to insure their survival by not cleaning up my yard any earlier this year. I doubt I will have an opportunity to educate the magistrate at my hearing about climate change and the environment, but I am still glad I have a habitat to offer the birds, butterflies and bees.
While I’ve been stuck inside, more or less, during the heat wave, it’s been almost refreshing to look back at photos from the end of April still on the laptop. Spring migration was starting, and even though many of the trees did not yet have leaves and the temperatures were chilly, birds were on the way.
But first, I found even more photos I didn’t know I still had, from April 17 at the Chicago Portage. Below, an American Robin sneaking nesting material, and a late American Tree Sparrow.
Northern Flickers were coming back.
An Osprey flew over.
A Song Sparrow was checking out the marshy area.
On April 21 in Riverside, Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.
A Northern Cardinal, a Song Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow made the cut.
On April 24 at the Chicago Portage, I found two American Robins preoccupied.
Yellow-rumped Warblers were easy to find.
I noted the return of a Green Heron.
Blue-winged Teal had been at the Chicago Portage for weeks.
Palm Warblers were showing up too.
Palm Warbler
On April 28 in Riverside, I saw an Eastern Bluebird. While they were setting up a territory, I saw the bluebirds quite frequently, but now that they are busy raising young I haven’t seen them lately at all.
An interesting fungus
Palm Warblers were showing up everywhere.
A pair of Northern Cardinals were enjoying the sunshine.
And a Great Blue Heron was in the river.
Then on April 29, back at the Chicago Portage, I had a Field Sparrow.
Warbling Vireos were arriving and claiming territories.
One of several Palm Warblers…
A Yellow Warbler was most likely heard first and then seen. There are at least two if not three breeding pairs at the Chicago Portage this year.
A Green Heron first appeared in a tree and then flew down to the water.
An Osprey flew over.
Then, the surprise bird at the top of this post, a beautiful male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I don’t believe I have seen one since. If they are nesting here, they are extremely well hidden.
White-throated Sparrows didn’t seem to be as plentiful this spring.
Just before the leaves would make them nearly impossible to see, Warbling Vireos were singing and reminding me they were going to be everywhere.
I managed to go for a walk yesterday before the heat increased again. We did get some rain last night and we’ve cooled off a bit, so I will go for a soggy walk by the river and then immerse myself in the pool. I will be back with more current reports, and I still have a lot of notable leftovers from spring warbler migration to share.
The Des Plaines River has been really low, exposing a lot of rocky islands. We were advised of enough rain yesterday to earn a flash flood warning for the area, so it will be interesting to observe the water levels fluctuating between rain and more hot, dry weather. In the meantime, here is a little roundup of scenes from several morning walks, beginning with June 2. Two Killdeer were on the rocks across from the Hofmann Tower which has also been a favorite gathering place for Ring-billed Gulls. The photo sequence below looks like the Killdeer were making more Killdeer. Check out the way the male has stuck out his chest and neck feathers in the third photo: it looks very boastful to me.
A Bald Eagle flew in the distance that morning.
Common Grackles have been quite fond of the rocky shores.
The light was perfect for a Baltimore Oriole.
Then on June 6, the only bird I managed to photograph well was a Warbling Vireo. They’re usually hard to capture, so I’ll take it.
On June 9, a Great Egret was by the wall across from Hofmann Tower, where the dam used to be.
A Ring-billed Gull flew by.
Common Grackles were on rocks emerging from the water.
I often see a Double-crested Cormorant in flight down the river.
I managed to capture a Cliff Swallow.
This Common Grackle almost made me think of a Great-tailed Grackle.
I saw two Chimney Swifts.
And this turtle took a striking pose.
I photographed another Double-crested Cormorant swimming. He looks like he’s smiling with that yellow gape. But I never see the double-crest. I wonder if it takes two cormorants to see the double-crest.
I managed to see a Northern House Wren, which doesn’t happen too often for such a common bird.
I found another Warbling Vireo…
The bird below is a total mystery to me. I caught it flying over the grass by Swan Pond. The Merlin app thought it was a Yellow-headed Blackbird, but it’s definitely not. So much for artificial intelligence. I think it is a swallow and somehow the light is playing tricks with the camera, but I can’t pin down what species it might be.
I also found a Gray Catbird singing his heart out in the open.
On June 11, Red-winged Blackbirds were going after everyone
Most striking was their attention to a close Turkey Vulture.
While all that was going on, another Turkey Vulture was sitting in a tree above the paved trail.
I saw a mother Mallard and her ducklings by the wall that curves around a bend in the river.
On the last visit on June 16, I noticed a tagged Canada Goose that I have not seen before. I have reported it to the USGS. I will be interested to see how long it takes for them to get back to me with the usual certificate and information about the goose and where and when it was tagged, given the current administration’s staffing cuts. So far I have received a lengthy email acknowledging my submission.
A lovely Ring-billed Gull flew by that morning
I crossed the street to walk in Riverside and nearly stepped on a large turtle on the sidewalk at the end of the bridge. After looking around and realizing I was alone without any turtle experts available, I started talking to it, wondering if it needed assistance getting back down to the river as there is a steep drop-off next to the bridge wall. As I explained to the turtle that I was worried for its safety, it started to move off the edge of the sidewalk, and when I asked again if it needed assistance it gave the equivalent of a turtle’s “heck no” and started moving in earnest, sliding slightly down a small part of the incline, in the direction of the river. I then felt reassured that it would make it on its own and continued my walk.
Baltimore Orioles are a little less visible these days, so I try to capture them when I see them.
Despite the flash flood warning, the rain was welcome. I hope the rain will jumpstart my native plants to flower so I can see if the bees are going to come back. As of this morning, I have only seen more houseflies.
I may be back to this page sooner than later as the heat advisory is asking us to stay inside the next few days. I will try to gather more enthusiasm for indoor pursuits, which always seems strange to me this time of year, but it is what it is.
I somehow never managed to add an Indigo Bunting to the last post. I guess I was so distracted by the potential finding of a rarity that I lost track. As it turns out, the rarity was discounted by the eBird police, so the bird was likely just an unusual-looking female Baltimore Oriole, which was what I thought it was originally until I consulted my Sibley app. What rabbit holes we birders can go down! This will be a brief post, starting with the return (or not) of one Indigo Bunting in particular.
For the past four years, the Indigo Bunting I named Tadziu returned to the same spot at the Chicago Portage. It had gotten to the point where I could recognize his song. Last year, I noted that one of his likely offspring was singing a lot like him. This year, Tadziu did not come back to his territory. But there is an Indigo Bunting with a territory just down the trail from Tadziu’s, who sits and sings for us just like Tadziu did. Below the photos of the current Indigo Bunting I am calling “Tadziu Junior” or TJ for short, I have posted my last recording of Tadziu and a new recording of the present bird.
Note: Indigo Buntings sing in paired phrases. Both recordings below also have American Robins singing in the background.
Tadziu’s Song 5/23/24“Tadziu Jr” song 6/12/25
And now for something only slightly different – on June 8, I decided to visit Ottawa Trail North to see what was going on there. It’s part of the same corridor as the Portage, close to the Des Plaines River.
Des Plaines River viewed from the trail
The first bird I photographed was an Indigo Bunting as blue as the sky.
Baltimore Orioles were easy to see, even at a distance.
I photographed a resting Barn Swallow.
I barely managed to see this Blue Jay take off with nesting material.
I found a Red-bellied Woodpecker trying to sit up on an incline.
All the birds were far away, like this Great-crested Flycatcher. That’s because the construction of the levy, on top of which the trail extends, eliminated a lot of trees close to the previous foot trail closer to the river.
I have noticed a reduction in swallow activity over the last week and a half. I did manage to capture a Northern Rough-winged Swallow and later, over the lawn by the parking lot, a Cliff Swallow.
I caught a glimpse of an Orchard Oriole.
A Brown-headed Cowbird took off.
And a Red-winged Blackbird flew by.
Toward the end of my walk, I caught an interesting interaction between two House Sparrows.
And across the river I found a Canada Goose family. The goslings blend in with the rocks, making them very hard to see.
That’s all for now. It’s been quite a week. On Friday, I got the news that Ed O’Brien, who was leading the Oak Park Bird Walks with me during migration seasons, died the day before. This is a terrible shock and an incredible loss to all of us who knew him. I felt like I was just getting to know him better, and now as he’s constantly in my thoughts, I already miss his companionship, birding expertise, good vibes and great sense of humor. Almost as if saying goodbye, Ed made a comment for the first time on my “Farther Afield” post a little over a week ago. Rest in Peace, Ed O’Brien.
The Green Herons are back. I’d been seeing one on occasion the last few weeks, but now I have seen at least one at the Chicago Portage regularly.
In addition to the Green Herons, it’s been interesting to see the summer residents now that they have moved into their territories and are busy raising families. Here are photos from two visits last week. June 3 started out quietly. The European Starlings are nesting in the statue’s cavities, I spied a baby rabbit, and a distant Ruby-throated Hummingbird sat on a dead branch.
An American Goldfinch was among the cottonwood seeds.
A female Red-winged Blackbird had a peaceful moment.
I encountered a chipmunk on the trail and spotted a female Yellow Warbler.
I noticed an interesting-looking Oriole which I assumed was a Baltimore Oriole until I started writing this post, looked up Baltimore Oriole on my Sibley app, and found that I had photographed a hybrid Baltimore Oriole-Bullock’s Oriole. I added the species and photos to my eBird list. Another rarity.
I was photographing the Eastern Kingbird below and didn’t notice until later that a Green Heron was sitting directly underneath it in the reeds.
Brown-headed Cowbird males are all hanging out like guys on street corners.
We have noticed lately that House Sparrows have taken to the wild as well.
Two days later, on June 5, I thought this American Robin was worth noting.
I barely caught a distant Gray Catbird in flight, but I think it makes an interesting image.
From the bridge, I saw an American Goldfinch and an Eastern Kingbird.
I also saw some iris virginica or Blue Flag Iris, a native species.
I identified the Cliff Swallow below later in my photos.
I never turn down a female Northern Cardinal.
A Great Blue Heron flew overhead and landed in a tree for a moment before taking off again.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers aren’t easy to see now that leaves are in the way, but I got a bit of luck with this one.
More views of the Eastern Kingbird, and some turtles.
I wondered if the Eastern Phoebe below was a juvenile.
An Osprey flew overhead.
I noticed a Muskrat and, later, I just barely made out a Common Watersnake in the reeds to its left.
Then the Green Heron was posing.
And later, as Bob and I were walking out along the paved trail, the Green Heron joined us for a closer view.
I have a lot more observations from the past week, not to mention the past month. I’m also busy preparing to play a little piano on Saturday for two friends who are renewing their vows. I am improvising on a melody and a rhythm that I’ve been living with for the past couple of weeks. The birds are helping me with it as I have an aversion to writing anything down. I value their input and encouragement.
I was hoping to make this post manageable and not too long. These are some of the birds from the last three spring migration walks of the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers, starting with Thatcher Woods on Thursday, May 30. We got a glimpse of the Great Blue Heron by the Trailside Museum.
Last Thursday was yet another challenge in flycatcher identification. If only it were possible that when these guys all show up at once, they at least announce themselves vocally. We got very distant looks at what turned out to be an Alder Flycatcher. Henry actually heard it.
There was also a Willow Flycatcher.
And I am thankful for Eastern Wood-Pewees having long, fluted tails.
For the record, an American Robin and a Northern Cardinal.
A pair of Blue Jays showed up and put on a little show.
It was a cool and cloudy morning but the lack of light did not dim the plumage of an Eastern Bluebird.
The now-Northern House Wren blended into its preferred surroundings.
We had a somewhat obscured view of a Great-crested Flycatcher, matching the colors of the branches and leaves.
The next day we were at Miller Meadow. Ir’s a huge expanse dominated by non-native, extremely invasive teasel. Somehow the birds tolerate it, even if it frustrates us. We saw one or two Willow Flycatchers.
The wide open expanse often makes this location a favorite of raptors. We had a pair of American Kestrels. They appeared to be using a nest box.
An Indigo Bunting provided a brief glimpse in the teasel.
Wide open spaces are good for Eastern Kingbirds as well.
And a Song Sparrow serenaded us as we walked by.
We had an Eastern Bluebird here too. This is the same individual at the top of the post.
I followed a Killdeer as it flew by.
Someone’s excellent spotting led to the discovery of a female Orchard Oriole by a nest, which I did not see, but I did manage a couple photos of the male when we caught up with him.
And a Red-shouldered Hawk made an appearance at the end of the walk.
The last gathering was on May 31 at Columbus Park. I saw a rather conspicuous Great Egret.
There was a Red-shouldered Hawk here too, perched on the fishing line recycling station by the larger body of water.
A Double-crested Cormorant was drying off its feathers.
We had a first-summer Black-crowned Night-heron in addition to a few adults.
The Great Egret started flying and landed in a tree.
We found a Black-crowned Night-heron in a tree as well.
We had a Least Flycatcher, conveniently identified after the Merlin app heard it first.
Here are two more Black-crowned Night-herons.
We will resume the Oak Park Migration Bird Walks at the end of August. Now that Henry is back in town, I will get a break from leading most of the Saturday walks, but I will likely join the group for most of them.
We are experiencing pleasant temperatures, but have also been under an air quality alert due to the Canadian wildfires. I try not to think about the added pressure on the migrants heading in that direction.
In spite of the anticipated quiet during breeding season, there are still a lot of birds we don’t get to see in the colder months, and I will continue to try to keep up with them. To be continued.
After three days birding with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers and the three early rises that facilitated those walks, you might think I’d had enough for a while. But I found myself thinking about the Goose Lake Natural Area in McHenry County, a/k/a the Hebron Trail, and the Yellow-headed Blackbirds that breed there every summer, and after checking recent reports on eBird, I decided to go there Sunday morning.
I love this place, but it takes me an hour and a half to get to it, so that’s 3 hours of driving already built into an outing. On top of it, with the long walk along the trail, I managed to spend close to another 4 hours while I was there. But as luck would have it, just as I reached the parking lot, I encountered Keith, another birder with camera, and we walked the trail together, eventually running into Barb and Laura, two expert birders that he knows who frequent this trail, so I was in good company and I am sure I saw more than I would have on my own.
The gravel road trail begins advances through farmland on either side, well-shaded by trees. Red-eyed Vireos have been singing everywhere lately, and they were no exception here. We managed to see this one.
As we approached a clearing, we found a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on a bare branch. It was quite far away, and being a small, backlit bird didn’t help these photos, but still it was nice to see. And if memory serves me correctly, I have seen this bird or one like him at the same spot before.
A Killdeer flew by as we walked out into the open area.
Common Yellowthroats are seen easily here, unlike in their more secluded urban habitats, so it wasn’t too surprising to see one perched and singing immediately.
Willow Flycatchers are also prevalent at this location. Although I saw several after this one, for some reason I was intrigued by this guy when we first saw, maybe because he was singing, loudly proclaiming his “Fitz-pew.”
It’s breeding season and with that comes the need to find bugs to feed the nestlings. Red-winged Blackbirds dominate the landscape and it’s hard to ignore them, especially when they’re doing something interesting.
Not to be outdone, Song Sparrows were busy gathering food as well.
There were quite a few Yellow-headed Blackbirds, but they were far away. But they were singing, which is always a delight to my ear, and I did manage to get a few slightly-clear distant shots. I am already considering a return-trip, when the young have fledged. If eBird reports and my memory serve me correctly, I should go back early next month.
Reminding us that the Yellow-headeds are not the only yellow-and-black birds, male Common Yellowthroats popped up constantly and conspicuously.
We spotted a distant Swamp Sparrow in the marsh. We were looking for Marsh Wrens which we heard but could not see.
A Green Heron flew by and then a Red-winged Blackbird chased it further.
Another little Red-winged Blackbird display
After hearing a few Yellow Warblers, we did finally see one perched in the distance.
We also heard and started seeing Brown Thrashers here and there along the trail.
It’s difficult to see the flycatcher surrounded by all the twigs in the photos below, but I managed to get some shots clear enough for Merlin to decide that it was an Alder Flycatcher. It seemed different from the Willows to me, but it didn’t vocalize. I’ll call it an Alder.
Butterflies are starting to emerge. We saw a Pearl Crescent and a Tiger Swallowtail.
On the way out, an Indigo Bunting flew quickly into a tree.
I had been expecting to see a Great-crested Flycatcher in the wooded area and sure enough, we heard one. Thanks to Keith for spotting it. I couldn’t resist the last photo as it left, showing off that gorgeous tail.
I was thoroughly exhausted even the next day, but I am starting to revive. I will be back soon with the Oak Park walk roundup as promised. Birding will get a lot quieter now, but there’s always something happening. And the indoor Zebra Finch Chorus doesn’t hesitate to announce sunrise at 5:00 AM as the days get longer.
I’m going to skip back earlier to April for a moment to relate a couple unexpected encounters. On April 15, I was at the Chicago Portage, and on April 16, I was in Riverside.
Not much was new at the Chicago Portage. I took note of a few appearances from the usual cast of characters.
I had started seeing and hearing Eastern Phoebes like the one below.
Blue-winged Teal were still in the creek,
I was on my way back out along the paved trail when I noticed a Red-winged Blackbird atop a tree fragment. Since there hadn’t been much else happening yet, I was inclined to pay attention.
I then saw that the Red-winged Blackbird was monitoring a Red-shouldered Hawk perched quietly below as the hawk tried to figure out how to eat a snake it had captured.
The next day, I was in Riverside. But on the Lyons side of the river where I park, I saw a very healthy-looking coyote.
A Great Blue Heron was in the river with two Canada Geese. There were also two Herring Gulls.
As I started to walk the paved trail by Swan Pond, a male Eastern Bluebird who has claimed this territory came to see me.
I encountered a Tree Swallow.
I found a Field Sparrow foraging near the trail. I have seen this species a few times this spring.
Then I got several opportunities to photograph a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, ever hopeful that I might see the ruby crown. As it turned out, this individual showed just a bit of it.
My last photos were of a Red-tailed Hawk flying overhead;.
So even though spring migration was in its early stages, these photos are proof that there is always something new to see when you least expect it.
I have been on walks for the past three days with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers. I was beginning to feel like I was on a tour, getting up early every morning and birding with some of the same people. I will be back with a little roundup of some of the birds we saw in three different locations. I am also happy to report that I have regained my sense of smell. I was just peeling a couple clementines for brunch this afternoon and I could smell the rind as my fingernail pierced it. What a relief!
It was a little chilly and quite gloomy last Sunday morning after the rain overnight, but I went for a walk anyway at the Chicago Portage, getting there early enough to encounter no other humans for quite a while. From the parking lot, I caught a European Starling leaving the statue where the starlings are nesting in the throat and the sleeve of the cloak. A male Baltimore Oriole was messing around in the grass between the start of the paved trail and the fence.
It was quiet walking to the bridge near Harlem, where I stopped to take a look and see if there was any activity. I found an Eastern Phoebe.
The Merlin app said it heard an Olive-sided Flycatcher. I found this intriguing as I had seen the species with the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers at Thatcher Woods the day before. As if by command, I soon found the Olive-sided perched on a twig not too far from the trail. It didn’t vocalize, but it was unmistakable. After taking way too many photos of this very cooperative bird, I tried to move just a bit farther left to get a better frontal view, but that was when the Olive-sided decided it had seen enough of me and left. Still, I will treasure this close encounter with a bird I have rarely seen, and hope to call upon my memory of it in the future to more quickly identify the next one I might see.
Next, I found what appeared to be a fledgling Red-winged Blackbird – already! It has none of the color associated with the female so I think this is indeed a very young bird.
Also, well-hidden by vegetation, I found a Song Sparrow.
And then, as if in defiance of the weather and the late date and everything else, I encountered a flurry of activity high in the tree tops along the dirt trail that runs parallel to the chain link fence separating the Chicago Portage from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). It has occurred to me while I’m sitting here writing that a map would be helpful. I was unable to find a drawn map, but I managed to take a screenshot from Google Maps of the Chicago Portage and some of its surrounding area, which I have inserted below. The “Portage Creek” and “Portage Trail” labels show the preserve and its location next to the Des Plaines River, the MWRD, train tracks and surrounding development. That little purple crown is next to the parking lot.
Peering up into the treetops, I managed to make the camera see what looks like a female Bay-breasted Warbler.
Then I found a female Blackpoll Warbler.
A male Bay-breasted Warbler came into view.
And another Blackpoll Warbler.
A female Yellow Warbler was not too shy.
I found yet another Blackpoll Warbler.
Then a Red-eyed Vireo appeared overhead.
I caught a brief look at a Gray-cheeked Thrush by the chain link fence.
And then I started to see a Canada Warbler.
A Gray Catbird was sitting in the barbed wire, which somehow seems appropriate for this species.
There was yet another Bay-breasted Warbler.
And one of those interesting-looking first-summer male American Redstarts.
I briefly saw a female Blackburnian Warbler. By the way, here’s a thought about why the female warblers are all showing up late. For the most part, the male warblers have already gone farther north to establish their territories. I suspect the females want everything in place before they have to get down to the hard work of choosing a mate, nest-building and egg-laying.
Then I caught up with the Canada Warbler, up close and personal. I have seen some other individuals over the last week or two and their images might eventually make it to this page, but this was the longest look I got this season of a particular individual, and I am grateful (after being greedy).
I had a brief and rather distant view of a male Indigo Bunting. I haven’t seen a female yet but I suspect several have arrived for the summer.
Briefly, a Least Flycatcher. I heard this one, too, with i’s “cheh-BECK” call.
Another Yellow Warbler turned up.
I have seen some deer lately.
This looks like a young Great-crested Flycatcher. Already!
Another first-summer male American Redstart was singing.
And a Swainson’s Thrush made an appearance.
As if all that were not enough, on my way out along the newly paved section of trail that hugs the marsh, I found a male Orchard Oriole. This is exciting, so even though the photos aren’t completely clear, I’m adding them all anyway.
So far this week, nothing has compared to Sunday. Things have slowed down quite a bit. As it happens, I was supposed to get up early and over to Columbus Park this morning to join Henry and the Oak Park Migration Bird Walkers at 7:00 AM, but the walk was called because of rain. As it has been usual lately, the rain is not a downpour but a steady drizzle-to-droplet routine that will be over this afternoon. I am embracing the extra rest – my cold or whatever it is seems to be diminishing, however gradually – and it has been fun writing this post, this morning. I’m going swimming shortly, and I’ll be back again.
